DENVER -- A rally at the state Capitol on Friday morning turned into a shouting match between the groups for and against a proposed amendment that would legalize small amounts of marijuana in Colorado.

Gov. Bill Owens and the state's top law enforcement officers planned a press event on the west steps of the Capitol to urge voters to turn down Amendment 44, which would legalize adult possession of one ounce of marijuana.

Supporters of pot legalization tried to shout them down.

"You say drink, we say no," the group chanted loudly.

Members of the group Safer Alternative For Enjoyable Recreation, or SAFER, who believe it should be legal to possess less than an ounce of marijuana, angrily denounced the governor and the amendment's opponents.

They argued that alcohol is much more dangerous than pot and believe the state's law enforcement priorities are out of whack.

However, as they tried to shout down the governor and other speakers, things got testy and the governor became visibly angry.

"I am very concerned. And if you really want to see the difference, look at the men and women who were with me up here today, and then look at who is out here yelling at us, not allowing us to speak. It is very concerning," Owens said.

Joining Owens on Friday was Attorney General John Suthers, Colorado State Patrol Lt. Col. Rick Salas, Park County Sheriff Fred Wegener, Arapahoe County Sheriff Grayson Robinson and Englewood Chief of Police Chris Olson, the president of the Colorado Association of Chiefs of Police.

The governor argued that Amendment 44 is a misguided, poorly drafted proposal that would only make law enforcement's job tougher.

"There is no question that legalizing marijuana will have a long-term negative impact on the welfare and safety of Colorado families," Owens said during his speech. "Making marijuana more available is a recipe for disaster for everyone in Colorado, particularly for our younger populations.

"In addition to human costs, legalizing marijuana is sure to have an economic impact on every Colorado citizen. These costs include increased costs for substance abuse treatment and other social programs as well as lost revenue due to decreased worker productivity. Colorado voters need to ask themselves, 'Is this what we want for our families?' Clearly, the answer is no," Owens said.

"People should consider whether they want to see Colorado become a haven for drug use in America and what that might mean for the level of crime and quality of life in our communities," argued Suthers.

Wegener, who is the president of the County Sheriffs of Colorado, said, "We are also concerned that legalizing marijuana will cause a spike in impaired driving fatalities and injuries caused by more motorists driving impaired on marijuana. The reality also exist that its is more difficult for law enforcement to detect impairment caused by marijuana and other drugs as compared to alcohol."

Proponents of Amendment 44 brought out Seattle's former police chief to speak at the rally and argue in favor of legalizing marijuana, but his presence was overshadowed by the raucous turn of events.

Supporters of the amendment also seemed disappointed at how their peaceful presence turned ugly, believing that it was not a way to put forward a rational argument for pot legalization.

Passage of Amendment 44 would make Colorado the only state to legalize the possession of marijuana for all purposes, including use as a party drug, opponents said. According to pro-legalization sources, an ounce of marijuana makes between 30 and 120 joints, which is enough to supply a daily user of the drug for between one and six months.

SAFER also announced Friday that it has enough money to run a few TV commercials before the Nov. 7 election.

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